Taking Great Newborn Baby Photos - Top 8 Picture Taking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them | Pregnancy and Motherhood

Of course, you’re taking tons of photos of your newborn baby.  It doesn’t matter whether your snapshots are blurry, overexposed or grainy to you because each picture captures a moment in your precious little one’s life.  But whether you’re choosing to send photo birth announcements,  present the grandparents with a framed portrait, or give someone a personalized gift containing the image of your little angel, there comes a time when you want your photographs to be great.

What stands in your way of taking wonderful photos of your newborn baby?  Here are the top eight mistakes and what you can do to avoid them.

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Mistake 1 – Using flash.  Not only can a bright flash hurt your newborn’s delicate eyes, it can also startle your angel and make him cranky.   

Instead – turn the flash off.  Find a room where there is lots of natural light. But don’t pose the baby directly in front of a window, because the background will be very bright, but his face will be dark.  Check to make sure that his face is not covered with shadows.  He should seem bathed in soft light.

Mistake 2 – Choosing the wrong background.  Grandma’s bright patchwork quilt may be a family heirloom, but it’s too busy for a newborn portrait.

Instead – Think soft.  A rumpled, pastel solid color blanket is an ideal backdrop on which to place your baby.  Position it so that it takes up the entire background in your camera’s viewfinder.  As an alternative, you can have someone hold your child upright, with the pastel blanket draped over part of them as a background.

Mistake 3 – Dressing your newborn in a distracting outfit.  Bright patterns, stripes, checks, plaid, and dark colors can overwhelm the photo and take the attention off your baby.